Textron Aviation announced early this month that it can now offer a gravel kit to enable the Cessna C408 SkyCourier to be operated from unimproved runways.
According to Textron SVP Sales and Flight Operations Lannie O'Bannion, the availability of the gravel kit will provide customers with greater operational flexibility.
“Cessna aircraft have been moving people and critically-needed goods in and out of remote areas for decades, and this new capability allows SkyCourier customers to operate in some of the world’s most demanding environments,” he said.
“The addition of this new gravel kit greatly enhances the already rugged reliability of the SkyCourier.”
The gravel kit consists of a nose wheel fender and two main wheel fenders, shield protection for the Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) antenna and a new VHF COM2 antenna.
Cessna's SkyCourier is a high-wing twin turbine utility designed to fit several mission profiles. Textron believes the gravel kit will "pave the way for further use in global markets by a variety of customers, including government agencies, law enforcement and militaries, air ambulance operators, freight haulers, corporations and humanitarian organisations."
First deliveries of C408s with the gravel kit are expected next month.